This article originally appeared in the first issue of Resume Writers' Digest. Eight years later, the information is still relevant. Enjoy!
Use these guidelines as an informal set of "rules" you can use to keep clients happy with the services you provide.
1. Keep clients informed about the current job market. Be a news source for your resume clients. Let them know what is going on in the overall job market as well as within their own industry. Read career magazines. If you specialize in an industry -- for example, healthcare professionals -- check out industry publications at the library, or take a subscription yourself.
2. Know what's important to clients. Would your client sacrifice an increase in salary for some time off? Are they looking for a job without evening or weekend hours? Having a good idea of your client's prorities can save their time -- and yours -- by weeding out job opportunities that clearly don't match up with what is important to them.
3. Stay in touch. After a year or two, it's easy to lose contact. But you can position yourself for repeat business -- and happy customers -- by keeping in touch with clients even after they've found their dream job.
Send out a note of congratulations when they get the job or for birthdays, graudations, and other significant dates.
4. Be punctual. Never be unprepared for a scheduled appointment. And, if you say you're going to send something, do it right then.
If you are sloppy with handling the routine details of the resume writing transaction, the client will take that as an indication that you are sloppy in other areas as well. He or she may begin to distrust your recommendations.
5. Confidentiality is key. Sometimes clients jeopardize their jobs simply by preparing their resume. One client relayed the story of a colleague who had submitted his resume "confidentially" to a job fair. It turns out his current employer was participating in the job fair. Confronted with the evidence that he was "job shopping," he was pressured to resign.
Don't put your client's job at risk. If you call him or her at work, leave only your name, not your company name or why you are calling -- even if you get the person's voice mail. You can never tell who is monitoring voice mail or e-mail nowadays.
Advise your client about confidentiality issues -- such as not responding to blind post office box advertisements or faxing a resume for distribution at a career fair. Change names and identifying details on sample resumes. Destroy draft copies of resumes and don't leave documents out where they can be seen.
Following these five simple guidelines can help assure that your client stays happy with you -- and the services you provide.
-- From the July/August 1999 issue of Resume Writers' Digest (p. 4)
Ideas, information, and resources for professional resume writers.
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Friday, December 21, 2007
Resume Writer, Career Coach, Recruiter, Executive Agent?
There are many types of professionals in the careers industry. While there can be some overlap, I thought it would be useful to clarify the jobs and roles of each professional.
Resume writers generally work for individual clients and are paid by the client to develop (and sometimes distribute) their job search documents. Resume writers may refer clients to recruiters, and may be paid a "finder's fee" for those clients, if they are placed. Resume writers may provide career coaching (either paid or unpaid). Some resume writers also do recruiting, although most do it in a "staffing agency" capacity, not as a "recruiter" per se.
Career coaches may also write resumes, although there is a definite subset of the profession that believes the client should write his/her own resume, and the coach will help "guide" them in this process. Very few career coaches that I know of function as either recruiters or executive agents.
Recruiters, in the traditional model, are paid by employers to find candidates to fill job openings. Some recruiters (also sometimes called "headhunters") will not accept unsolicited resumes from candidates; it is a "badge of honor" for some top-level recruiters to source the really-hard-to-find-candidates -- and these recruiters will find you; you don't find them. Some recruiters will work with resume writers; others see no need for resume writers ("we have our own format we use"). Most legitimate "recruiters" will not charge the candidate a fee; instead, they are paid by the employer.
The Executive Agent is the newest type of careers professional. Modeled on the professional sports agent, or entertainment industry agent, these individuals are paid by the job seeker (often a fee of $1000-$5000). The best known in the careers industry is Debra Feldman, although it could be argued that any of the top careers professionals that offer comprehensive resume writing/career coaching/job search assistance/resume distribution services fall into this category. The Executive Agent is not to be confused with the Bernard Haldane model, where job seekers pay a large fee to gain "exclusive access to the hidden job market." Instead, the Executive Agent model is much more proactive and directed, and relies heavily on the agent's network of contacts.
I wanted to define these different roles because of a question on one of the professional association listservs about the Top Gun Executive Group. From the website description, it appears the owner, Craig Chrest, is an Executive Agent, although he calls himself a recruiter. It's unclear from the site whether he also collects a fee from the hiring employer, which would put him in a sort of "dual agency" model.
In the same way that recruiters are sometimes dismissive of the services of resume writers and career coaches ("If the job seeker was any good, they wouldn't need someone to write their resume; we'd find them on our own"), resume writers (and career coaches) have to be careful not to be too dismissive of "executive agents" just because they charge clients a lot of money.
However, I foresee a time in the future when Executive Agents will be compensated like sports agents or entertainment agents ... with a percentage of the client's salary (similar to how recruiters are currently paid). Except, instead of the employer paying, it will be the job searcher. I'm not sure if the sports/entertainment industry standard of 15% will fly in this instance, but Executive Agents can expect to be well compensated for the role they make in helping highly compensated professionals and executives effectively find their next job.
Resume writers generally work for individual clients and are paid by the client to develop (and sometimes distribute) their job search documents. Resume writers may refer clients to recruiters, and may be paid a "finder's fee" for those clients, if they are placed. Resume writers may provide career coaching (either paid or unpaid). Some resume writers also do recruiting, although most do it in a "staffing agency" capacity, not as a "recruiter" per se.
Career coaches may also write resumes, although there is a definite subset of the profession that believes the client should write his/her own resume, and the coach will help "guide" them in this process. Very few career coaches that I know of function as either recruiters or executive agents.
Recruiters, in the traditional model, are paid by employers to find candidates to fill job openings. Some recruiters (also sometimes called "headhunters") will not accept unsolicited resumes from candidates; it is a "badge of honor" for some top-level recruiters to source the really-hard-to-find-candidates -- and these recruiters will find you; you don't find them. Some recruiters will work with resume writers; others see no need for resume writers ("we have our own format we use"). Most legitimate "recruiters" will not charge the candidate a fee; instead, they are paid by the employer.
The Executive Agent is the newest type of careers professional. Modeled on the professional sports agent, or entertainment industry agent, these individuals are paid by the job seeker (often a fee of $1000-$5000). The best known in the careers industry is Debra Feldman, although it could be argued that any of the top careers professionals that offer comprehensive resume writing/career coaching/job search assistance/resume distribution services fall into this category. The Executive Agent is not to be confused with the Bernard Haldane model, where job seekers pay a large fee to gain "exclusive access to the hidden job market." Instead, the Executive Agent model is much more proactive and directed, and relies heavily on the agent's network of contacts.
I wanted to define these different roles because of a question on one of the professional association listservs about the Top Gun Executive Group. From the website description, it appears the owner, Craig Chrest, is an Executive Agent, although he calls himself a recruiter. It's unclear from the site whether he also collects a fee from the hiring employer, which would put him in a sort of "dual agency" model.
In the same way that recruiters are sometimes dismissive of the services of resume writers and career coaches ("If the job seeker was any good, they wouldn't need someone to write their resume; we'd find them on our own"), resume writers (and career coaches) have to be careful not to be too dismissive of "executive agents" just because they charge clients a lot of money.
However, I foresee a time in the future when Executive Agents will be compensated like sports agents or entertainment agents ... with a percentage of the client's salary (similar to how recruiters are currently paid). Except, instead of the employer paying, it will be the job searcher. I'm not sure if the sports/entertainment industry standard of 15% will fly in this instance, but Executive Agents can expect to be well compensated for the role they make in helping highly compensated professionals and executives effectively find their next job.
Thursday, December 20, 2007
A Quick Note on Closing Your Business
I received a note back today from a resume writer who recently retired. I asked her whether she had tried to sell her business, instead of just closing it, and she was kind enough to respond back to me, and provide this tip for resume writers too:
"It's practically impossible to sell. Or at least I found it impossible. So I just closed it up. In Rhode Island, there's only one other person who really made a difference in the resume writing market, and she figured she'd get people from me simply because I wasn't there, so she turned [the opportunity to buy the business) down.
However, if you're signed up for umpteen months in the Yellow Pages, they have an "Out of Business" office that will allow you not to pay for the remainder of the year if you can prove that you've cut off your phone and are actually no longer in business. It took me a long time to find this out, so I'm passing it on to you."
I believe that it is possible to sell your business, and this is a topic that I will be exploring in the future. If you have insight into the matter, e-mail me! (rwdigest@aol.com).
"It's practically impossible to sell. Or at least I found it impossible. So I just closed it up. In Rhode Island, there's only one other person who really made a difference in the resume writing market, and she figured she'd get people from me simply because I wasn't there, so she turned [the opportunity to buy the business) down.
However, if you're signed up for umpteen months in the Yellow Pages, they have an "Out of Business" office that will allow you not to pay for the remainder of the year if you can prove that you've cut off your phone and are actually no longer in business. It took me a long time to find this out, so I'm passing it on to you."
I believe that it is possible to sell your business, and this is a topic that I will be exploring in the future. If you have insight into the matter, e-mail me! (rwdigest@aol.com).
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Surveying Your Clients
Today, I will respond to a reader question.
Q. Do you have a possible list of survey questions for me to send to my clients? I would like to get feedback about my business and what improvements I can make. Occasionally, a client sends me kudos, but I would like more specifics.
– S.F.
Bridget's Answer:
Surveying your clients can be a great way to not only collect testimonials, but also find out how the client's job search is going and identify opportunities for additional services you can provide.
I typically use two surveys with my clients: a "How Did We Do?" one initially, and a "How Are You Doing" as a follow-up 2-3 weeks later. I send them both by "snail mail," although you could certainly use an online survey program if you wanted to. Links to download the surveys in Microsoft Word form at below each survey.
How Did We Do? Survey
~ Please complete and return this brief survey and let us know! ~
We recently provided resume services to you. How did we do?
(Rate on a three-point scale from "Satisfied" to "Dissatisfied")
1. I was able to schedule an appointment when I wanted to...
2. Personal attention was paid to my needs
3. I feel my documents accurately reflect my skills, qualifications and accomplishments
4. I feel my documents will do a good job of "selling me" to a prospective employer
What have you done with the resumes?
What have you done with your resumes? (Specific mailings? Apply for jobs online? Passing resumes out to friends, networking contacts?) [I leave several lines]
VALUE
What do you think of your investment in your personal marketing documents?
Value for the money invested: __ Excellent __ Good __ Fair __ Poor
ADDITIONAL SERVICES
I would be interested in the following additional services:
(please note: there is an additional fee for these services)
Resume distribution to: __ Recruiters __ Targeted Employers __ Venture Capitalists
FRIENDS & FAMILY
Would you recommend us to friends/family/co-workers? __ Yes __ No __ I already have!
WHAT WOULD YOU TELL OTHERS ABOUT US? (We need your testimonials!)
[I leave several lines]
_ You have my permission to use my testimonial (names will be disguised, i.e., "Angela B., Omaha" unless you give us permission to use your full name.)
COMMENTS
[I leave several lines]
Use the enclosed postage-paid return envelope or mail to:
Image Building Communications • PO Box 241621, Omaha, NE 68124-5621
===================================================================
Download the "How Did We Do?" survey at http://www.buildimage.com/IBCFirstSurvey.doc
===================================================================
How Are You Doing? Survey
~ Please complete and return this brief survey and let us know! ~
WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH THE RESUMES?
Specific mailings? Responded to any ads? (Where did you find the ad? Which company was it for?) Apply for any jobs online? (Which web sites did you use? Which companies did you apply at?) Did you pass any resumes out to friends, networking contacts?
[I leave several lines]
RESULTS
What has been the result of the resume services you received (what kind of response have you received -- phone calls, letters, interviews, etc.)??
[I leave several lines]
INTERVIEWS
Have you been on any interviews? __ Yes _ No
What has been the results of these interviews? (Second interviews, job offers?)
[I leave several lines]
COMMENTS
[I leave several lines]
Use the enclosed postage-paid return envelope or mail to:
Image Building Communications • PO Box 241621, Omaha, NE 68124-5621
===================================================================
Download the "How Are You Doing?" survey at http://www.buildimage.com/IBCSecondSurvey.doc
===================================================================
Q. Do you have a possible list of survey questions for me to send to my clients? I would like to get feedback about my business and what improvements I can make. Occasionally, a client sends me kudos, but I would like more specifics.
– S.F.
Bridget's Answer:
Surveying your clients can be a great way to not only collect testimonials, but also find out how the client's job search is going and identify opportunities for additional services you can provide.
I typically use two surveys with my clients: a "How Did We Do?" one initially, and a "How Are You Doing" as a follow-up 2-3 weeks later. I send them both by "snail mail," although you could certainly use an online survey program if you wanted to. Links to download the surveys in Microsoft Word form at below each survey.
How Did We Do? Survey
~ Please complete and return this brief survey and let us know! ~
We recently provided resume services to you. How did we do?
(Rate on a three-point scale from "Satisfied" to "Dissatisfied")
1. I was able to schedule an appointment when I wanted to...
2. Personal attention was paid to my needs
3. I feel my documents accurately reflect my skills, qualifications and accomplishments
4. I feel my documents will do a good job of "selling me" to a prospective employer
What have you done with the resumes?
What have you done with your resumes? (Specific mailings? Apply for jobs online? Passing resumes out to friends, networking contacts?) [I leave several lines]
VALUE
What do you think of your investment in your personal marketing documents?
Value for the money invested: __ Excellent __ Good __ Fair __ Poor
ADDITIONAL SERVICES
I would be interested in the following additional services:
(please note: there is an additional fee for these services)
Resume distribution to: __ Recruiters __ Targeted Employers __ Venture Capitalists
FRIENDS & FAMILY
Would you recommend us to friends/family/co-workers? __ Yes __ No __ I already have!
WHAT WOULD YOU TELL OTHERS ABOUT US? (We need your testimonials!)
[I leave several lines]
_ You have my permission to use my testimonial (names will be disguised, i.e., "Angela B., Omaha" unless you give us permission to use your full name.)
COMMENTS
[I leave several lines]
Use the enclosed postage-paid return envelope or mail to:
Image Building Communications • PO Box 241621, Omaha, NE 68124-5621
===================================================================
Download the "How Did We Do?" survey at http://www.buildimage.com/IBCFirstSurvey.doc
===================================================================
How Are You Doing? Survey
~ Please complete and return this brief survey and let us know! ~
WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH THE RESUMES?
Specific mailings? Responded to any ads? (Where did you find the ad? Which company was it for?) Apply for any jobs online? (Which web sites did you use? Which companies did you apply at?) Did you pass any resumes out to friends, networking contacts?
[I leave several lines]
RESULTS
What has been the result of the resume services you received (what kind of response have you received -- phone calls, letters, interviews, etc.)??
[I leave several lines]
INTERVIEWS
Have you been on any interviews? __ Yes _ No
What has been the results of these interviews? (Second interviews, job offers?)
[I leave several lines]
COMMENTS
[I leave several lines]
Use the enclosed postage-paid return envelope or mail to:
Image Building Communications • PO Box 241621, Omaha, NE 68124-5621
===================================================================
Download the "How Are You Doing?" survey at http://www.buildimage.com/IBCSecondSurvey.doc
===================================================================
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